Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lived up to its billing as the marquee event of Evo 2019 with an incredible grand finals performance from the two best players in the world.

Number one ranked player, Leonardo “MKLeo” Lopez, was fighting from the losers bracket, while TSM’s Gavin “Tweek” Dempsey was fighting from winners.

Both players stuck to their mains with MKLeo picking Joker and Tweek picking Pokemon Trainer.

In game one, MKLeo was already at 94% and hoping to recover to the stage ledge by using his Rebellion Gauge, however, Tweek was able to spike MKLeo’s recovery attempt and drew first blood.

With a stock deficit, Tweek did his best to keep his percentages low. While MKLeo was able to tie their stocks, game one ultimately ended with an elaborate headbutt by Tweek’s Charizard.

Game two was a much closer match. Even though Tweek drew first blood again, MKLeo immediately responded with a quick smash that sent Tweek flying off the screen.

As they traded blows, Tweek brought MKLeo above 100%, making him very prone to a smash hit. As both players found footing on the stage, Tweek switched to Charizard and did a lightning-fast two-hit combo to smash MKLeo offstage.

With MKLeo down to one stock, Tweek rushed MKLeo with quick combos to get his percentage up again. Wary of MKLeo’s high damage potential, Tweek kept launching him to the sides to prevent him from finding his footing. With their percentages almost equal at 100%, Tweek initiated an impressive pivot-tilt attack to secure game two.

With Tweek just one game away from victory, MKLeo knew he needed to turn things around fast.

He started game three with some aggressive combos and excellent zoning to prevent Tweek from setting up any opportunities of his own.

With Tweek’s percentage almost hitting 200%, MKLeo relaxed his offense, only to greet the guarded Tweek with a back-air.

Down one stock, Tweek was eager to retaliate. He baited MKLeo with a few attacks, and then closed in and sent him flying with an amazing grab combo.

Tweek subsequently switching to Squirtle, but this didn’t seem to phase MKLeo, who tanked a few hits and promptly sent Squirtle flying.

Tweek quickly tried to recover by switching to Charizard and doing a Flare Blitz back to the stage, but MKLeo finally ended his stock with an air attack.

Tweek went back to the faster Squirtle, but was unable to do any significant damage to MKLeo.

The Mexican pro went all in and did his best to raise Tweek’s percentage. As he went above 100%, Tweek had no choice but to take out his Charizard. With Charizard being a bigger, slower character, MKLeo had more chances to sneak in a smash attack to finish the game.

As they battled onstage, MKLeo positioned Tweek on a platform and dropped down to execute the perfect up-smash to end the game.

Tweek tried to prevent MKLeo from gaining any momentum and went on a rampage at the start of game four, quickly taking two of MKLeo’s stocks right. The first stock was an impressive denial of MKLeo’s roll-in with a forward tilt.

The second stock taken was also a forward tilt by Tweek as MKLeo tried to recover to the ledge.

With just one stock left to save his tournament life, MKLeo made an unbelievable comeback, taking two of Tweek’s stocks in just 25 seconds.

With the stocks tied, MKLeo was pushing for Tweek to switch Pokemons by dealing massive damage to his Squirtle.

Tweek switched to Charizard and evened out their percentages, but MKLeo activated Arsene and landed a huge juggle on Charizard sending him into the sky, and tying up the first set at 2-2.

With all the momentum on his side, MKLeo stormed out of the gates in game five. Pulling out Arsene quite early in the match, the Echo Fox player easily took the first stock from Tweek.

Even with a high percentage, Leo still brought out his best in Joker, taking out another stock from the Pokemon Trainer. Without giving up hope, Tweek quickly retaliated by taking Leo’s 100%+ stock.

With a stock advantage, MKLeo went into overdrive to finish the series. With Arsene activated, the Mexican player shoved Tweek off the stage, executing a smashing flying kick right into Tweek’s returning Charizard to win the game and reset the bracket.

With the bracket reset, Tweek was no longer at an advantage. He needed to start controlling the stage and zoning out Leo to keep himself afloat.

Unfortunately, Tweek wasn’t able to keep up with MKLeo’s finesse onstage. With grave mistakes such as a lost stock due to an air dodge, things were starting to look bleak for Tweek.

At the end of game one, the two battled it out in the air. With Tweek having a higher percentage, he went in with a tailwhip to MKLeo, only to send him above Charizard’s head.

In desperation, Tweek committed to a Flare Blitz but sent himself offstage, handing MKLeo the first game.

Game two of the reset was a one-sided victory for MKLeo. Tweek started making more mistakes, leaving him vulnerable to Leo’s sharper reactions.

For every idle moment, MKLeo pulled something out to keep his damage active. Leo finally ended the game with a huge back-air.

After losing five games in a row, Tweek tried to recover in game five and started out strong, taking the first stock.

Unfortunately, Tweek’s couldn’t maintain his form, as MKLeo kept up the pressure.

In the last two minutes, the two players’ stocks were equal, but Tweek was already nearing 200%.

In Tweek’s attempt to zone out MKLeo at the ledge, he miscalculated his spike, letting Leo take control of the ledge. As Tweek desperately grabbed the ledge, MKLeo finished him off with an amazing down-air, winning his sixth game in a row, and completing the comeback to win Evo 2019.

Evo 2019 is MKLeo’s eighth championship title this year, earning him US$22,000. For his second-place finish, Tweek won US$7,000.

The next major SSBU tournament will be Super Smash Con in Chantilly, USA, which will happen on August 8-11.